The most important thing anyone can have
by DancingDaffodils
Summary: Set during [4x01]. Regina had been the Evil Queen. She has also been a hero... many times over. When Marian is brought back from the past, it's the way she deals with her reappearance that will determine who she's going to be from now on. Only, someone is determined to never see Regina back to her old ways and won't leave anything to chance. Who are they ? Will they succeed ?
1. Chapter 1

STORYBROOKE read the golden letters her eyes first set on as she was rising to her feet.

It was as they say, she thought to herself, the portal did bring her to where she was last thinking of.

Though, it could have brought her directly into town. Would have saved her the hassle.

Now, she should probably get going. She wouldn't find Regina out there in the woods.

She did not realize the town was at a quite walking distance. She couldn't get lost, she just had to walk straight in front of her, but after a while, she wished she had for she was starting to get bored. It was not the adventure she thought it was going to be.

"Hey, kid!"

A yellow car slowed down until it stopped next to her. The passenger window went down and a woman's face appeared.

"Is everything okay? Do you need a ride or anything?"

Emma ! The girl exclaimed to herself. She could not yet let Emma know she already knew her. But, a smile spread across her face.

"Well, wouldn't say no!"

Opening the door from inside, Emma placed her hand on the passenger sit and tapped it.

"Hop on!" She invited with a warm smile.

The girl got on the car and closed the door.

"So... you came with the last curse, didn't you ?"

Emma could see the girl's eyes widening as she was looking back and forth between the girl and the road.

"The hood... it's a dead giveaway, for starters," she said in a wink. "But, it's pretty though, I love it. Reminds me of Ruby's... well, Red's in your land."

"Except mine does not keep me from turning into anything. But, thanks "

They both burst into laughter. She had forgotten how funny Emma was.

"It's just... it's a present for my mother and right now, it's the only I have to remember her by. I didn't have the heart to let it go just to fit in, she said as she took it off and pressed it to her heart.

"I won't stick around, anyway," she continued.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked confused.

"I am looking for my mother. Once I do, I'll go back where I belong," stated the girl.

"The Enchanted Forest?" Emma asked with a surprised tone.

The girl nodded.

Emma thought it was going to be difficult to send the girl back to the Enchanted Forest. Besides, there was no one else to send her back to. Even, if they succeeded, this time everyone was brought to Storybrooke when the curse hit. But she decided against telling her now. Looking at her, she looked pretty shaken up already.

" You're looking for your mother, you said... what happened to her? If you don't mind me asking, that is" asked Emma looking back at the road.

"I don't know. I was looking for her back in the Enchanted Forest. I was on my way to Regina's when Snow's curse hit and...", she seemed lost in her thoughts, "well, I still need to see Regina and I still need to find her," she finished no longer staring into vacancy but rather looking at Emma.

"Listen, kid, Regina might not be... available, let's just say, at the moment. I..." Emma was cut short.

So, the portal did bright her when she was last thinking of. If was nice to be sure. However, why she appeared almost outside the town line still remained unclear. Regina must have been out there, after all, contrary to what she thought first.

"I know what happened, I was at the party last night," she lied.

The girl could see how uncomfortable Emma was and she just thought she would spare her the discomfort of explaining to a perfect stranger how she saved someone's life but ruined Regina's in the process. Guilt was already all over her face.

"I never saw you." Emma realized.

"Oh," the girl was quite taken aback, "I left before you came back".

"I mean, I never saw you before. Who were you back in the Enchanted Forest?" Emma asked intrigued.

"Just a miller's daughter".

"Well, she doesn't even want to talk to Henry, her son ... my son... our son... it's complicated." I was on my way to try and fix things, again. Though, I don't have my hopes up. But, I can drop you at my place, Henry will be there. He is about the same age as you, you two should get along quite well." Emma said changing the subject.

"No, I really have to see Regina !" the girl pleaded gently.

"Kid..." Emma started.

"Maybe it will do her good to help me look for my mother. She'll have a new purpose for a while and it will show her she can be a hero, that she can do good around her, that she can help people," the girl argued with puppy dog eyes on her face.

"Fine," Emma could only say "but don't be disappointed if she doesn't respond."

"Okay," the girl nodded sadly.

" 'Gina? I now you're in there, I can see the lights on!"

In Storybrooke Town Hall, Emma tried to open the Mayor's office, but it was locked.

"You know this is complicated but you can have happiness. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you just have to fight" Emma said a gentle voice.

No response from Regina. She did not come all the way to say just that but she hoped Regina would have reacted to what she just said. It was easier to argue when there was an actual conversation, or even a fight. Not this.

"Okay, if you won't, I will ! Henry brought me to Storybrooke to bring back the happy endings. My job's not done until I do that for everyone... including you." Emma continued, not giving up on her.

Emma was angry and disappointed. At herself and at Regina.

"The book!," the girl exclaimed, "let me try, I have an idea!"

At the other side of the door, the girl's voice made Regina tick. She never heard it before. Who did it belong to? And why would Emma bring someone else in such a moment, especially a child?

The girl sat down and leaned against the same door Regina was leaned against at the other side. And she opened her backpack and took a book out of it. Oddly enough, it looked a lot like the one Henry cherished and carried around everywhere a few years ago. She opened it randomly and began to read.

_" Heroes don't kill" Regina stated uneasily._

_ "So now you're a hero ?" Zelena asked in a disgusted tone looking up at her baby sister._

_ For what she watched of her sister's life, the woman was ANYTHING but a hero._

_ "Today I am" Regina responded proudly with a smile looking down at her older sister._

_ Today was the second time, after she has just defeated the Wicked Witch with light magic that she truly felt a hero. She could do good around her, she could help the people she loved, she could have her happy ending_.

Emma already heard that somewhere, she thought to herself.

They were still no answer whatsoever from Regina. But the girl did not give up just yet. She still has things she wanted to say. And, after a few seconds, she went on.

"The stories don't only see you one way, Regina, people don't only see you one way. You are a hero. You are to Henry, to Snow, to Tink, to Robin, to Emma, to Roland, to David, to Baelfire, to Neal, to me... and shall I go on ? You're a hero if you believe you are one, because, the rest of the town ? Well, they already believe."

It brought tears to both Emma and Regina's eyes.

But, there were still no answer from the queen. The girl tried one more thing.

"I need you to help me find my mother, you're the only one who can. Will you do it ?"

The girl was met with only silence.

"Are you sure, she is here?" the girl asked Emma.

"Yep, kid. I know Regina, believe me she's here."

The girl was devastated. She truly thought everything she had said would touch Regina and made her help in finding her mother or at the very least make her react, even the slightest way. But this?

Out of anger, she rose to her feet and turn back to face the door. The book on her lap fell open in the process. While the girl tried to open the door, Emma picked it up only to see it was completely blank after a few pages.

"How come you couldn't open the door? It's open!" the girl stated as though it was obvious.

Emma stopped daydreaming at the sound of the girl's voice. The door was open indeed. She did not understand. She tried it herself, it was locked.

She followed the girl and entered in the office.

"There is no one there. I was sure of it, she would have said something if she was here, she would have helped," the girl exclaimed relieved.

"Let's go now, kid" Emma said confused putting her hand on the girl's back pushing her towards the exit.

When Regina was sure they were gone, she shaped-shifted back into her human form and vanished into thin air.

Who was this girl ? The door was indeed locked.

With blood magic.


	2. Chapter 2

I apologize for the very long update guys. I am truly sorry. For some reason, I had troubles writing this chapter. Life kept me pretty busy also. I don't know if it helps but it's one of the longest chapter I've ever written.  
I promise the next and last update for this story won't be that long.

"How long before you can give Neal hot cocoa with cinnamon in his bottle ? I wanna see if he likes it too like the rest of us." Henry asked his grandmother jokingly.

Emma and the young girl had entered Snow's place to find Henry and the rest of her family around the kitchen island and a cup of hot cocoa.

"I'd wait until his first birthday."

"Finally someone who knows to take care of a baby" said Snow laughing turning to a guilty-looking David.

When Henry heard his mother's voice behind him, he turned around to see her wink at him. Emma then placed a hand on the girl's back.

"Hey Kid, this is my son, Henry and this is my mother, Snow. Henry, why don't you show our guest around. I need to talk to your grandmother," Emma said looking at her son. "You should show Henry you fairytale book," she finished winking at the kid.

Snow waited for the children to be away to start.

"Who is she?" She couldn't help to ask.

After Henry showed the girl around his room, they both sat on the bed. It is not like there were much to show anyway.

"I'm sorry," Henry began," for my mother. She is hardly ever that rude. By showing you around, she really meant for us to go somewhere we wouldn't hear them. I hate that, when they exclude you because they think you're too young." Henry complained.

"I know," the girl started. "But, you know, I was finally let in in some big adventure. Now, I wish I hadn't. So, this is your room ? She quickly added not wanting to talk things further on that first subject.

Henry laughed. It sure did not look like a boy's room at all.

"Yes, when I am with my mom, this is where I sleep. She found her parents recently and we felt like living together under one roof to catch up on lost time. We haven't find her bigger place yet. And I think my mom wants her own place now, anyway.

"Who are you with, when you're not with her?

"I am with my mom" Henry said until he realized how confused that sounded. "I mean my other mom. Emma is my birth mom I only tracked her down and met her four years ago, Regina adopted me and she was the only mother I knew for almost my entire life. I have a room at her place that looks more like me," he teased. "But, she doesn't want to see me anymore,' he finished saddened.

"She doesn't want to talk to me either," the little girl answered.

She seemed as hurt as he was.

"But I'm her son!"

"And I'm… She is the only one that can help me."

Henry looked at her and he saw himself in her, she had the same look on her face, the same tone in her voice.

"I went to her office with Emma. I talked to her through the door but I had no answer. There is no way that what I say did not bring up some kind of reaction. I think she wasn't really here. But Emma swore she was there indeed. If she doesn't want to talk to you even, it makes more sense," the little girl carried on shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't think she will be able to help you after what happened to her, actually she is the one who would need help."

It was not a good idea to come with Emma. Regina resented Emma at the moment, she was not gonna hear out anyone Emma brought along with her. She should go with Henry, he is the only one she'll listen to, and he told his mother they had to help her, she would.

"The only thing she needs is a little push. I know she said she did not want to talk to you anymore, but in fact, it the one thing she wants. You should go talk to her."

"How do you know all that?" Henry asked surprised that such a little girl knows that much about human psychology.

"Right now, it's my best bet. If she does not want to talk to you, I don't see why she would ever talk to me. If she does not, I'm lost."

Henry was not convinced. Not that he didn't believe the girl and he would have helped her for less than that but there was something else about her. The little girl did see that she needed to give Henry more that she gave his mother or his grandmother.

"Do you remember my fairytale book your mom told you about?" the girl asked knowingly.

"Yes, what about it?" Henry asked confused.

The girl took said book out of her bad, opened it and rested it on her legs so Henry could see.

"It's all blank," said Henry more confused than ever.

"It's because, there is a spell on it. I couldn't let anyone see what's inside. You'll understand in a minute."

While the children bonded upstairs, Emma had a chance to tell her mother as much as she knows of the little girl's story, yet leaving one odd detail out.

"How do you call her then, if she won't give any names?" asked Snow

"Hey Kid!" Emma answered in a shrug.

Before Snow could even react to Emma's joke, all the lights went down. Emma rushed to the window to see that it did not only happen in their appartement but everywhere else. Soon, she started to receive numerous calls. Both sheriffs did. David barged in and handed a crying Neal to his mother and left the place with Emma by his side.

"Do you understand now, why you need to talk to her even if she says she does not want you to?"

Henry nodded.

"Will you help me then?"

"Sure, we could make it an operation. We'll call it…" Henry trailed off, fingers on his chin, lost in his thoughts.

"Kangaroo!" the little girl exclaimed

"Operation kangaroo it is!" Henry approved in a smile.

Emma found herself awake in the middle of the night. The couch, however comfortable, could only allow her body to rest while her mind was left to wander. She kept thinking about what she had done, how she saved Marian's life but ruined Regina's doing so. And, she kept thinking about how to find ways to cope with guilt, to help Regina, to find Anna and to find the kid's mother - although the kid clearly did not want her help – but found none.  
Baby Neal faintly crying cut her wandering short. She instantly rose to go and get him before he woke up either David or Mary Margaret... or both. The closer she got to the room, however, the more she thought she should have left the baby wake their parents up. What if he was hungry ? There was nothing she could do for that. What if their parents woke up and found her in the room ? Well, it would still be less awkward that the day she came home with Henry to make tacos. She was already on her way, anyways, they both needed sleep and, she was still awake and they would cross the living room and she that was not sleeping and she could not cope with that conversation right now and as surprising as it was, she just wanted to spend time with her little brother.  
There were nothing awkward watching her parents sleep, after all... well, maybe a little. But it was more cute than it was awkward. It was cute how her mother's head rested on her father's chest, both in each other's arms with smile on their faces. She wanted that. But she did not linger as the baby began to cry louder.

"Hey there," she murmured while she took him in her arms.

Although, he had now a name, she couldn't stop calling him this way every once and a while.

"Someone has a dirty diaper," she whispered as she left the room as quietly as she could, with a smile on her face.

Not that it was her favorite thing to do but at least she could help with that. He kept crying while she changed him and would not stop even after she was done.

"You can't sleep either can you?" she asked him. "It's fine, we can both stay here," she went on "but you have to stop crying, sweetheart, yes, you have to,"she smiled to him "because you'll wake daddy and mommy up and they need their sleep, yes they do" she said while she was rocking him. "I am not the greatest singer but I know stories" she went on as she kept walking round the room. She was thinking about how the previous night, they began to tell him the story of how their parents met and how that kept him quiet. But since, a twist happened.

"That story they told you last night, nah, don't listen to them, I know the real one I was there!" she told him while caressing his little baby hair before she he grabbed her fingers with his tiny hands.

He yawned and closed his little baby eyes.

"Aww…" she stared at him.

The still vivid memory of her journey in the past Enchanted Forest got ahold of her while she was starting to talk to him about that she did not realize he stopped crying. Neither did she realize her mother had been standing there, watching the two of them for the past couple of minutes.

"I didn't know you were so good with babies." started Snow with smiling eyes.

"Mom, you scared me," whispered Emma. She was glad it didn't wake Neal up. "It's Regina," she went on "she gave me and Henry new memories, remember, she gave us a life where I never gave him up. Although, it was clearly fake, I still remember soothing Henry back to sleep as a baby. Weird, right?"

"Weird is normal around here," Snow answered her smiling. "And thanks for taking care of your brother, you are very good with him."

Emma blushed faintly.

"It's just that I was still awake, you were asleep and you needed your sleep so I figured I'd take care of him. Besides, I didn't get to spend real time with him since he was born," she said as though she was trying to defend herself.

"Wait, you were still awake at..." she looked at the time "twenty-five, now twenty-six to four?" Snow asked concerned.

"I know you would say this but I'm fine, I swear and you should go back to bed. Here, take him."  
"Let me take him," a voice said.

David had been standing there just like Snow had done few moments ago, simply watching his family. His son crying finally woke him and when he found neither his wife nor his son were in the room, he decided to get up to see if Snow needed any help with the baby. Now, it looked like his daughter needed her mother. He took Neal from Emma's arms and went back to their room.

"Mom, if I took care of Neal, it was so you didn't have to, so you could sleep, not so you could take care of me instead."

Emma sat on the couch and pulled the blanket on her legs.

"Oh, Emma, I'm here for you too, I hope you know that," said Snow concerned while she sat on the couch, a hand on one of Emma's legs.

"Mom, I am thirty-one, not four. He is a baby, and i realize he needs you 24/7. It's normal. You make it sound like I am jealous."

"I could not blame you if you were, there is many reasons why you would be…" Snow started.

"Last thing that's gonna help me is hearing how he will have the life I never had but always dreamed of" Emma cut her mother short, a bit too harsh.

"I'm sorry," said an apologetic Snow looking down.

"You might wanna try something else," Emma added in a softer tone.

Snow lifted her heard and looked back at Emma.

"Does it mean, you are letting me help you ?" asked Snow with the brightest smile.

"I could really need motherly advice right now and it is not like you are gonna give up and go to bed so, am I wrong ?"

Snow nodded in a smile.

"Thank you" Snow whispered. "What's bothering you?" she carried on in a motherly tone.

Emma drew her knees to her chests and looked at her feet.

"Well, there's Regina for starters, I feel so guilty for what I did to her and I don't know how to help her. I don't feel confortable around Hook for that reason and I am afraid he resents me for that and leaves me. I don't want to let him go away. And there's the kid's mother I've gotta find but the kid does not want my help which is not gonna help… at all and Elsa's sister is also missing. And, contrary to the kid, she counts on me, I can't let her down. I'd say that's about it."

"Waouh…" Snow started, not really sure what to say next. That sure is a lot."

Emma looked up at her mother. That was not really helping. She looked down at her feet, defeated.

"And this is probably why you couldn't see any solution to your problems," her mother carried on in one of her warmest smiles.

"Because you see one?" Emma asked Snow surprised.

"The way I see it, it's easy. You gotta let that little girl find her mother with Regina's help. You said it yourself, she does not want your help, anyway. It's not like you would let her down, Regina will help her. It's what she wants. And the kid is right, you know, it will give Regina a new purpose, something to feel good for, something to show her she does good around her. And I believe, if that help her make her, she won't need your help anymore and you won't have to feel guilty anymore.

"Even if she helps the kid and they do find her mother, it won't change the fact that I destroyed her happiness." Emma retorted.

"Emma, you can't blame herself for saving Marian's life. Also, Regina had killed her, she has now one less death on her conscience thanks to you. Do you realize she was responsible for Robin's wife death, the reason he was heartbroken for years? Do you think their relationship would have survived that if he ever found out? I do think you helped Regina beyond words saving her true love's wife from dying at her hands, you got her back and you salvaged her relationship on some level.

"It's twisted but seeing it like that…" Emma trailed off.

"Helping this little girl will help her more than you think. It'll give her time to realize that. And as much as I love Regina, she brought it on herself. She could have been with Robin when it was not yet married to Marian. She had her chance and she blew it. So cut yourself some slack. Once, you'll see she does not need your help, you won't feel that guilty and you will be yourself with Hook again. No need to worry with him. He think he gets it, he won't leave you for that. Also, the kid will be cared for. And for all of that, you've nothing to do, you just have to leave things play out." She laughed. "And, for Elsa, you won't be on your own, we will be there to help you, you know that."

Emma was left speechless. She did not know what to say to that. She wanted to believe it, of course.

"Thank you mom," Emma was finally able to say.

Snow opened her arms and Emma huge her mother.

"And here I thought you had no idea how to comfort your own daughter," whispered David with smiling eyes and his son asleep in his arms.

He found Emma asleep on the couch, her head rested on her mother's right shoulder while the latter had an arm around her.

"I didn't," answered Snow as she got out off the couch ever so slowly while resting Emma's head on the pillow so she would not wake up or notice she was gone. "I mean back on the island but this time was different…" Snow carried on now facing her husband.

"Because she let you in," David finished her sentence.

She smiled at him.

"Well for a mother who had nod idea how to confort their own daughter, you learnt quite fast and you were simply amazing with her tonight. She needed you and you were there for her. I truly think you helped her."

"Thank you," mouthed Snow.

She put a hand on his cheek and kissed him.

"Wait, what didn't you go back to bed?" said Snow stepping back suddenly realizing.

"I couldn't sleep," he answered yawning.

"Right" said Snow very much convinced.

"Hey, it's you she needed but it worried me too. I couldn't help but overhear. I wanted to make sure she was okay."

"And you did not put our son back in his cot because… ?" asked Snow laughing lightly, eagerly awaiting to know what he had to say about that.

"I like holding him, having him in my arms, and I know where he is… after what happened to him and what happened to Emma."

"Oh," Snow said simply taken aback.

That's how she felt and she assumed he must feel pretty much the same way but hearing it was something else entirely.

"But look at us", he said to reassure her, "we're a real family, now."

"No, mom, don't do that, there's gotta be another way."

The kid was tossing and turning and talking in her sleep. After Emma and David came back with Elsa and promised her to help find her sister. It was high time to go to bed for a well-deserved rest. Although Snow's place could only host so many guest, it was decided that Elsa and the kid would stay with the Charmings as they could not decently let them sleep at Granny's on their first night in this strange land. Henry kept his single bed upstairs and the girls shared Emma's double bed in the same room while Emma opted for the couch downstairs next to the room her parents shared with her brother.

"No, no NO, MOM!" the little girl broke down in tears in her sleep.

"Hey, wake up sweetheart, wake up, it's just a nightmare," Elsa said worried while trying to wake the little girl up.

The girl woke up with a start.

"My mom," she started without acknowledging where she was or who she was with, she is… she is… she's dead," she said out of breath.

"It was a nightmare sweetheart, she is just missing but we're gonna find her," said a reassuring Elsa as she had been told the story of the kid. "It was just a nightmare. Now, go back to sleep. Don't be afraid, I'm here" Elsa said in a soothing tone.

She stroke the girl's hair while the latter listened to her and lied down on the bed again.

It was not a nightmare, the girl thought as she drifted to sleep, it was a memory.

TO BE CONTINUED… 


End file.
